Mag-log inThe phone fell from her hand and clattered to the ground, still streaming live to her horrified fans.Damien rushed forward, his face pale. "What? What is it? What's in the box?" He leaned down and looked inside, and the moment he saw Rebecca's dead body, he staggered backward and vomited all over the marble pavement."Oh my God," he gasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Oh my God. Who would do this? Who would send a dead body to my house?"One of the maids screamed and covered her mouth. The others scattered in panic, running back inside the mansion. Marcus, the head bodyguard, stepped forward cautiously and looked inside the box. Even his hardened face went pale.Damien's hands were shaking as he reached down and noticed a small envelope taped to the inside of the box. He ripped it open with trembling fingers and read the three words written in bold red letters:"STAY AWAY FROM AMELIA'S CASE. BACK OFF. NOW."Damien stared at the letter, his mind racing. "Amelia'
THE LANGSTON MANSION — MORNING — 9:00 AMDamien Langston stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the cuffs of his black suit.Behind him, Sophia sat at her vanity, filming a live stream for her followers."Good morning, my beautiful people!" Sophia chirped into the camera, batting her eyelashes and flipping her perfectly styled hair over her shoulder. "We are getting ready for the Langston Group Charity Gala tonight, and I am so excited to share this journey with all of you. Make sure you keep watching because I'll be taking you behind the scenes of the most glamorous event of the year!"The comments were flooding in fast, full of heart emojis and praise. Damien barely glanced at her. He was used to her performing for the camera by now.Sophia continued talking to her fans, describing her dress and her jewelry, when suddenly a loud knock echoed through the mansion.The knock came again, even louder this time.Sophia paused mid-sentence and looked toward the bedroom door with a frow
ALEJANDRO'S HOUSE — LIVING ROOM — 6:45 PMThe penthouse was warm and quiet. Candles flickered on the coffee table. Soft music played from the speakers. Gabriella stood in the kitchen wearing a tight red dress and high heels. She was cooking dinner. Pasta with truffle sauce. Alejandro's favorite. Everything was perfect.Alejandro sat on the couch with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked relaxed for the first time in weeks. His tie was loose. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar. He watched Gabriella move around the kitchen and smiled."You look good in that dress," he said.Gabriella turned and smiled back. "You look good with that drink. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."Alejandro picked up the remote control and pointed it at the television. "Let me just check the news real quick. See what's happening in the world."Gabriella's smile tightened. Just a little. "Do you have to? Can't we just have one night without bad news?""I'll just flip through," he said.He turned
"I—" She choked, crying hard. She bit her lip. "They took my boys. My twin boys. They said if I helped Amelia win, they'd kill them. They're eight. I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry."The warehouse went dead quiet. Just Rebecca's shaky breathing.Miguel froze. He stared at her. "You could've called the cops," he said."They said they had cops—""You could've told someone. Left a note. Warned Amelia. Something." His voice stayed low. "But you didn't. You showed up every day. You objected to dumb stuff. You sat quiet when it counted. You looked her in the eye and lied." He shook his head. "You're not sorry 'cause you had no choice. You're sorry 'cause you got caught.""Please," she begged. "My boys—""We'll find them," Miguel said. He nodded to a guy nearby. "Marco. Find where Damien's Wife is keeping them. Get them out. Tonight."Marco pulled out his phone and stepped back.Rebecca looked up, tears everywhere. Hope flickered in her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you—""Don't," Miguel cut
WENT-WORTH CORRECTIONAL CENTER – VISITOR CENTER – 10:00 AMThe visitor center at Wentworth was cold and gray. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. The floors were scuffed and dirty. Rows of plastic chairs sat bolted to the floor. A thick glass window separated visitors from inmates. Phones hung on both sides for conversations.Ariana stood at the check-in desk with baby Aiden on her hip. The baby was awake now, looking around with wide curious eyes. Ariana had dressed him in a little blue outfit. She looked tired but determined. She had not slept well since the confrontation at the penthouse."I'm here to see Amelia Favino," Ariana said to the guard behind the desk.The guard was a large woman with a bored expression. She didn't look up from her computer. "Name?""Ariana Flores."The guard typed slowly. She clicked her mouse a few times. Then she shook her head. "You're not on the visitor list."Ariana blinked. "What? That's impossible. I'm her best friend. She would have put me on
ABANDONED WAREHOUSE~ NEW YORK CITYRebecca sat completely still in her chair, staring straight ahead with her jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might crack.One of the men stepped out from the shadows and walked over to her. He set a small metal case on the floor beside her chair and opened it without saying a single word. Rebecca glanced down at what was inside, and a sound came out of her mouth that was almost a scream, but not quite.From behind her, Miguel asked the same question again. "Who paid you?" His voice was exactly the same as before—same flat tone, same quiet volume, as if he were casually asking her what she wanted for dinner.Rebecca's voice broke when she tried to answer. "I can't tell you. If I tell you, they will—"Miguel cut her off as he walked around to face her. "They will what?" He knelt down so his eyes were level with hers, and up close, she could see that his eyes were even darker than she'd thought. There was no anger in them, no heat—just a terr
FAVINO GRAND MANSION In Seville, Spain, Alejandro stood on the terrace outside his study at the family hacienda. The sun was setting, turning the olive trees gold. He barely noticed.He was staring at his phone.Not at messages. Not at photos.A legal document filled the screen.Preliminary separ
Alexander straightened slowly. Whatever shock had crossed his face vanished, replaced by surprise. “No,” he said.The word hit the room like a gunshot.Amelia stared at him. “No?”“I won’t call off the engagement,” Alexander said, voice even, controlled. “And I won’t destroy Vivian.”Ariana let ou
Nicholas leaned casually against the railing, hair still messy, eyes dark and teasing.“Morning,” he said, voice low. “Making coffee without me?”She swallowed, suddenly aware of the sweater and the way it clung. “Someone had to,” she said, trying to sound casual.He smirked and walked closer, hand
THE GUERRA GRAND MANSION~ SPAINGabriella stepped into her sunlit bedroom at the family villa outside Madrid. The red dress from last night still draped over a chair, a trophy of her victory. Her skin still tingled from Alejandro’s hands, his desperate kisses, the way he’d lost control. She let he







